University of North Florida Reviews of Master's in Public Administration

"Pro- The program teaches you how to think independently. Con- there are a limited number of faculty Pro- there are a lot of local alumni that work in public agencies and you can network easily. Con- program could be finished earlier if there were more faculty. Pro- great bang for your buck and the program director and other professors are really knowledgeable and passionate about their discipline."

"I am pursing a Master's in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management at the University of North Florida. I absolutely love the program. I attempted two other programs Applied Sociology and Vocational Rehab years ago and just didn't have the maturity or the connection with those programs to be academically successful. In this program I will say, the professor are engaging, accessible, knowledgable, and resourceful. I have take 10 of the 14 courses i need within the program and i havent found one course that I didnt like or couldnt find something to apply to my life in real time . A pro would be both the material and professors in the program are engaging. One con would be I would want all of the course courses for the program to be offered every term. The program is small and has limited resources and faculty. Another pro is the connection to the community, there are many individuals who are in the program that are leaders in the Jacksonville community. One con with the program is that because of the limited number of faculty a student gets used to a certain teaching style and might have difficulty adapting to another style. One pro would be there are lots of opportunities for scholarships."

"The program needed to be more technically intensive. So much of public administration (academic and professional) requires rigorous mathematical analysis, but courses supporting this development had been minimized by my graduation date. Because most courses were forums for philosophical tinkering and debate, the program was more of a "Part II" of undergraduate political science. This detraction, however, could be attributed to the product most demanded by the students in the program. Students who were particularly focused on professional application (especially in nonprofit work) found a very appropriate, applicable program of study in the UNF Public Administration program. Furthermore, the adjunct faculty from the government sector were from varied backgrounds, with a wealth of practical knowledge from experiences in recent political administrations on various levels of state. This was a testament to the leadership of the new program director and his vision therewith."

"The benefits of my program give me a fast track into the world of administration both public as well as private sectors and a clear window to look through. I feel I gain more knowledge and insight to compete and enter into a career in Public Administration. One drawback is that some of the internships that are offered to the program are very time-consuming for someone like myself who has to work to help pay the bills. A broader selection of paid internships would fix this."

"THis graduate program prepares you for a job in public administration. The program is small so there is not a lot of endowment money or grant money but it is sufficient to get through the program with minimal damage. The concentrations are limited though the program had what i wanted to study. The Director of the program has 30 years of experience with public administration and policy as well as 20+ years with teaching experience."